Counting device.



nu. 667,804. Patented Feb. l2, 190|;

w. vm. swAREN,

l \COUNT|NG DEV|CE.

(Appliction tiled Nov. 9, 1899.)

(N o Ilodel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM A. SWAREN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TC HAMILTON C. KIBBIE, OF OBLONG, ILLINOIS.

COUNTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,804, dated February 12, 1901.

Application led November 9. 1899. Serial No. 736,317. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- the line Y Y of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side eleva- Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SWAREN, a tion of a modiiied form of my counting device. citizen of the United States, residing at No. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a device ofthe 181 Dearborn avenue, in the city of Chicago, modified` form, the cap A2 being removed to 55 county of Cook, and State of Iliinois, have inshow the underlying parts; and Fig. 8 is a vented certain new and usefullmprovements partial vertical longitudinal section on the in Counting Devices, of which the following line Z Z of Fig. 7. is such a full, clear, and exact description as Similar letters of reference designate like will enable others skilled in the art to which parts in all of the views. 6o Io it appertains to make and use my said inven- The main structure A is in the form of a tion. rectangular box consisting of two divisions My invention relates to counting devices, separated by an intervening partition a, so such as are usable with voting-machines, as to admit of ball-compartments on both weighing-machines, cash-registers, automatsides of said partition. Each of these divi- 65 ically-registering turnstiles, and other similar sions is divided into compartments by longimechanisms which are employed to keep actudinal partitions a. curate count of numerical units, units of In the `drawings I have shown and I will weight, value, measure, duc. hereinafter describe a counting device adapt- The purposes of my invention are to proed to accommodate balls in rows of exactly 7o zo vide a counting device adapted to use balls ten balls in each row. The device may, howto be deposited therein, each ball representever, be made to accommodate any other deing a single numerical unit or a single unit sired number of balls in a row without deof weight, value, dac., said counting device parting from my invention. In order that having compartments of such internal dimenthe compartments may accommodate exactly 75 sions that the balls deposited therein will ten balls in each row, the Width of each comwhen the box is shaken arrange themselves partment is made exactly equal to ten times in rows, each full row containing the same the diameter of one ball plus one-half the dipredetermined number of balls, to provide a ameter of one ball, and for any other number closure for controlling the deposit of balls in of balls in a row the width of the compart- 8o 3o said counting device, to provide means for ment will be equal to the sum of the diameretaining the closure in position to permit ters of the balls ina row plus one-half the dithe deposit of balls, to provide means for ameter of oneball. By giving the compartlocking the closure in position to prevent the ments just this width the balls will when the deposit or withdrawal of balls, to provide boXis shaken disposet-hemselves in rows with 85 means for indicating the number of balls conthe balls in each row above the bottom row tained in each compartment of the counting lying in the interstices between the balls of device, and to provide means for sealing the the next underlying row, as clearly shown in counting device against unwarranted open- Fig. 1 of the drawings. ing thereof. The part A is supported on a suitable base 9o 4o With these ends in view my invention con- A and is surmounted by a cap AZ, pierced by sists in the novel features of construction holes a2, through which balls may be passed and combination of parts shown in the aninto the compartments. On the under side nexed drawings, to which reference .is hereby of the cap A2 is a channel a3, in which the made, and hereinafter described, and pointed slide B is slidable. The slide B is pierced by 95 out in the claims. holes b, which register with the holes a2 in Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a the cap A2. A spring C is secured in an enfront elevation of the counting device. Fig. largement of they channel as, and when the 2 is a top plan View of same. Fig. 3 is a verslide is push-ed in the spring is compressed tical partial longitudinal section on the line and overlaps the slide. When the slide is 10o 5o X X of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation. pulled out, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. Fig. 5 is a horizontal transverse section on 3,.the slide closes the holes a2, so that balls Ve, as shown in Fig. 7.

cannot be passed therethrough, and the slide being withdrawn from under the spring C the free end of the spring acts downward and comes to rest with the front end of the spring abutting against the rear end ot` the slide and locks the slide, so that it cannot be again pushed inward.

As a means for temporarily retaining the slide B in such position that the holes b are in registry with the holes a2 I employ a turnbutton D or equivalent device, which engages with the downturned end b ot the slide B to prevent outward movement of the slide, and when the button is released the spring F acts against the slide to push the slide outward. Any other suitable device may be used instead of the turn-button D without departing from lny invention.

The cap A2 is secured to body part A by screws E, sunk in holes al in the cap, andthe screws are sealed in place by seals c, of wax or other suitable sealing material, placed in the holes above the screw-heads in such manner that it will be impossible to remove the securing devices without destroying the seals.

Other suitable securing devices maybe used without departing from my invention. For example, instead of employing two screws E and two seals e, as shown in Fig. 3, I may employ at one end of the cap A2 a pin a6, fitting in a. hole cti in the side wall of the main strncture, and at the other end a single screw E, extending transversely through the cap and the main structure and sealed by a single seal It is only essential that the securing device shall not interfere with the movements of the slide and shall be dctachable and sealable against unauthorized removal of the securing` device or devices.

Instead of using the flat spring C for locking the slide B, I may without departing from my invention use any other equivalent device-sucln for example, as the locking device shown in Fig. S, which consists ot' a vertically-movable bolt C,housed in a recess as and acted against by a spring C2. lVhen the slide moves outward, the bolt moves upward behind the end ot the slide and prevents inward movement of the slide.

On the faces of part A are gradnations designated by numerals 100, 200, dic. ,which are so placed that when the balls F are in place in the compartments the graduations will indicate the number of balls in each compartment, as clearly shown in Fig. l.

The fronts ofthe countingdevice have glass plates G, through which the balls and the graduations are visible.

In the modified form of the device illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, and S the partition d is of such thickness that oppositelyinclined ways d5 may be formed therein, through which balls may roll downward into the compartments below on the opposite sides of the partition. The ways a5 are arranged in pairs in line with each other instead of in pairs side by side, as in the form of the device herein- Preparatory to using the counting device the,

person or persons in charge inspect each compartment to see that no balls remain therein. The slide B is then set with the holes l) in registry with the holes a2. The cap A2 is then secured to the body A by means ot the securing devices E, and the seals e are affixed. In practical use the counting device is placed in proper position in the machine or apparatus with which it is to be used, with the slide I3 in such position that the holes Z) are in registry with the holes d2, and during the use of the counting device the slide B is kept in that position either by the button D or hy any equivalent device in connectionv with the machine or apparatus with which the counting device is used. The balls representing units to be counted are deposited either by hand or by mechanical means through the holes a2 and l) into the compartments, in which they arrange themselves in rows oi ten balls in a row, as shown, and a glance at the gradnations suflces to show the number of halls in each of the compartments.

In the counting device I have shown a muitiplicity of compartments, adapting the device to keep separate count of a multiplicity of different units. For example, if used in a voting-machine each compartment may receive balls representing units relating to separate oihces for which there are a multiplicity of candidates to be voted for, or if used in a cash-register separate compa-rtments may receive balls representing units of different values, as dimes, dollars, dsc., and so on for the various uses for which the counting device may be employed. I have also shown and described a closure adapted to simultan eonsly cover or uncover all of the openings through the cap.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a counting device, the combination of a main structure having compartments, a cap connected with the main structure and having Vopenings communicating with the compartments therein, a movable closure having openings registering with the openings in said cap, a retaining device holding said closure with the openings therethrough in registry with the openings in said cap, means ior antomatically moving said closure upon the rclease of said retaining device and means for automatically locking said closure, as set forth.

2. In a counting device, the combination oi' a main structure having compartments, a cap connected with the main structure and having openings communicating with the com- 'Ihe holes a2 in the cap N,

IOO

IIO

IZO

partments therein, a closure movable in said cap, a spring acting against said closure to move same and a springr acting against said closure to look same, as set forth.

3. In a counting device, a main structure having a central division and partitions forming compartments on both sides of said division, in combination With a cap fitting on the main structure and having openings communicating with said compartments respectively, a slide movable in said cap and having openings registering with the openings in said cap respectively, and a locking device engaging with said slide, as set forth.

4. In a counting device, the combination of a main structure having compartments, a cap iittingon the main strncture,and having openings communicating with said compartments therein, securing devices connecting the cap with the main structure, seals sealing said securing devices, a slide slidable in said cap and having openings registering With the openings in said cap, a turn-button engaging With said slide, a spring acting against said slide to push it outward, and aspringacting against the slide to lock same, as set forth.

5. In a counting device, the combination of a main structure having a central partition provided with oppositely-inclined Ways, a cap having holes in registry with said Ways and a closure having holes registering with said Ways and slidable to simultaneously cover all of said holes and said Ways, as set forth.

6. In a counting device, the combination of a cap provided With a pin, a main structure having a hole in which said pin ts, and a securing device connecting said cap with the main structure and a seal sealing said securing device, as set forth.

7. In a counting device the combination of a main structure having a compartment adapted to contain a multiplicity of rows of balls, the Width of said compartment being equal to the sum of the diameters of the balls contained in a row plus one-half the diameter of one ball, also having a transparent front and graduations, also having an opening through which balls may be deposited in said compartment; in combination with a closure adapted to close said opening, as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name,at Chicago, Illinois,this 30th day of October, 1899.

WILLIAM A. SWAREN.

Witnesses:

B. G. SEELYE, ANNIE B. SEELYE. 

